Thomas m



(No Model.)

T. M. STRAIT'.

OORKSOREW.

Patented June 12,1883.

M. Iii/W!) V g g I WITNESSES ZJVVEJVTOR .Aftorneyi UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

THOMAS M. STRAIT, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

CORKSCREW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,202, dated June 12,1883.

Application filed March 24, 1883. (No model.)

To a, whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1', THOMAS M. Srau'r, a citizen of the United States,residing at Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Cork screw, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to corkscrews; and it has for its object toprovide eflicient means for severing the cord or wire by which corks aregenerally secured.

To this end my invention consists in certain improvements in theconstruction of corkscrews, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 rep resents a perspective view ofmy corkscrew applied in position to the cork of a bottle. Fig. 2represents a vertical section of the same. Fig. represents a detail viewof the cone-shaped cutter, the latter being shown as attachable on theshank.

Like letters refer to corres 'londing parts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the shank of an ordinarycorkscrew, provided with a suitable handle, B, and the screw 0. Theseparts are constructed in the usual way, and need not be describedfurther here.

At a point on the shank between the handle and screw I fix a cutter, D.This cutter is cone-shaped, and is provided on the inside with ashoulder, d, which adapted to rest on the cork, or on the top of thebottle. Be low said shoulder the inside of the cutter is beveled off toform a sharp cutting-edge, e, the purpose of the latter being to severthe wire or cord generally employed in holding corks in bottles. Thesaid cutting-edge may also be used to break the sealing-wax of thebottle.

The cone-shaped cutter may be fixed on the shank, as shown in Figs. 1and 2; or the said cutter may be internally screw-threaded at the upperend, as shown in Fig. 3, and screw upon threads on the shank. By thismeans the cutter can be readily detached from the corkscrew and insertedupon other corkscrews, as found convenient and desirable.

The upper portion of the cutter may be provided with an extension, and apin or other securing device can be passed through the extension andshank A, so as to secure the cutter on the shank and allow a slightyielding motion of the cutter. This manner of connection may be employedat the option of the maker.

The operation of my corkscrew can be readily understood by the foregoingdescrip tion, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings.- Thecorkscrew is applied and inserted in the cork in the usual manner. Byturning the handle the cutting'edge of the coneshaped cutter severs thewire or cord by whichthe cork is secured. then be extracted by pullingon the handle of the corkscrew in the usual manner. The edge of shoulder61 also forms a cutting-edge to break the sealing-wax of the cork, andalso sever the cord or wire in conjunction with the cutting-edge c.

My corkscrew will be found to work etliciently, and in practice will cutthe wire or cord and extract the cork in a very short time.

l'have described the cutter as cone-shaped; but I do not limit myself tothis or any other form, as the cutter can be constructed in the shape ofa square, hexagon, octagon, cylinder, or triangle without departing fromthe spirit or scope of my invention.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A. corkscrew provided with a cutter, saidcutter-having a shoulder, (Land beveled from said shoulder to form aciittiiigedge, e, as set forth.

2. In a corkscrew, the combination, with the shank, handle, and screw,ofa cone-shaped cutter secured to the shank, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

3. In a corkscrew, the combination, with the shank, handle, and screw,of a cone-shaped cutter adapted to be attached to the shank, said cutterhaving a shoulder, (I, and beveled from said shoulder to form acutting-edge, e,

substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 4. A corkscrew providedwith a cutter, said cutter having a shoulder, d, forming an innercutting-edge, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS M. STBAIT.

Witnesses B. O. STRAIT, EDWARD J. BARRETT.

The cork can

